The Harry Potter movies are incredibly popular for those with a Max subscription even years and years after the movies first came out. More than a decade after the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, new windows are opening in the Wizarding World in the form of an upcoming Harry Potter HBO series and a new theme park at Epic Universe. Oliver and James Phelps, who played Fred and George Weasley in the OG movies, opened the theme park, then weighed in on what it's like for newbies to be coming in and taking over their roles.
The Harry Potter TV show is expected to be different from the movies that started it all, not only for being a more “faithful” adaptation to the literature, but also because new actors are filling the roles. James Phelps spoke to THR at Universal Epic Universe’s grand opening celebration of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic about how much of an influence he and his twin brother, Oliver, would have on the new series and the new Fred and George actors:
I haven’t really thought about it because it’s just something other guys are going to do and it’s only fair to whoever’s doing it to give them their own space to do it. But I’m here if [the TV iterations of Fred and George] ever wanted anything to chat about — not just the acting but the external sides of it, and living with the fanbase as well.
I respect Oliver and James Phelps a lot for that. The two already had a very important job from 2001-2011 to portray the menacing Weasley Twins for the first time for previous generations and they are clearly still involved with the fandom. I love how they're also open to help passing the torch to the next generation and even giving their input if asked!
It's hard to believe it’s been over a decade since James and Oliver Phelps played our favorite ginger wizard twins. However, many of the original cast members still have a big role in The Wizarding World. They’ve participated in events located in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal, reunited for HBO Max’s 20th Anniversary special, and even went back to the original sets to film Wizards of Baking.
Oliver Phelps offered some sage advice to the future actors of Fred and George Weasley that will come in handy in continuing their legacy:
That’s something we were lucky enough to be able to come along with. But yeah, hopefully, these guys who go play Fred and George understand that they should enjoy it. Enjoy these characters because they are fun guys to play. And as James said, if everyone is chuffed and saying, ‘What’s this like? What’s that like?’ Yeah, we’d always be a help.
Sure, the duo may not have gotten enough movie screentime, but there’s no doubt Fred and George must have been fun roles to play. The Weasley Twins had a dynamic partnership, pulling pranks on their classmates and turned their antics into a business with their joke shop: Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Plus, you can’t forget about the single coolest thing the Potter characters did when they made a mockery of Professor Umbridge’s control and disrupted testing in Order of the Phoenix. I can’t wait to see that scene reimagined in the TV series.
I’m glad the twin actors are still hanging out and willing to offer their two cents to the series and the future actors of Fred and George if needed. After all, who better to ask than the actors who first brought the magical characters to life? The Harry Potter series is expected to come to Max in 2026.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
